| Miss Universe 1979 | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Date | 20 July 1979[a] |
| Presenters | |
| Entertainment | Donny Osmond |
| Venue | Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, Australia |
| Broadcaster | CBS (international) Seven Network (TVW-7) (official broadcaster) |
| Entrants | 75 |
| Placements | 12 |
| Debuts | |
| Withdrawals | |
| Returns | |
| Winner | Maritza Sayalero .svg.png){kind=small} Venezuela |
| Congeniality | Yurika Kuroda .svg.png){kind=small} Japan |
| Best National Costume | Elizabeth Busti  Uruguay |
| Photogenic | Carolyn Seaward  England |
Miss Universe 1979, the 28th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 20 July 1979[a] at the Perth Entertainment Centre in Perth, Australia. Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela was crowned by Margaret Gardiner of South Africa. This is the first time Venezuela won the pageant.
Notably, a large piece of debris from Skylab, which had fallen nine days earlier, was displayed on stage during coronation night.[1]
Results
)
Miss Universe 1979 participating nations and results
Placements
| Final results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1979 | |
| 1st Runner-up | |
| 2nd Runner-up |
|
| 3rd Runner-up |
|
| 4th Runner-up |
|
| Top 12 |
|
Preliminary Competition
| Nation | Interview | Swimsuit | Evening Gown | Preliminary Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela – Maritza Sayalero | 8.282 | 8.673 | 8.427 | 8.461 |
| England – Carolyn Ann Seaward | 8.173 | 8.382 | 8.125 | 8.227 |
.svg.png){kind=small} South Africa – Veronika Wilson | 8.091 | 8.218 | 8.000 | 8.103 |
 Sweden – Anette Marie Ekström | 7.618 | 7.899 | 7.882 | 7.800 |
 Brazil – Martha Jussara da Costa | 8.145 | 7.773 | 7.226 | 7.715 |
 United States – Mary Therese Friel | 8.091 | 7.373 | 7.564 | 7.676 |
.svg.png){kind=small} Belize – Sarita Diana Acosta | 7.236 | 7.936 | 7.790 | 7.654 |
 Scotland – Lorraine Davidson | 7.882 | 7.564 | 7.382 | 7.609 |
 Bermuda – Gina Swainson | 7.982 | 7.445 | 7.308 | 7.578 |
 Germany – Andrea Hontschik | 7.727 | 7.536 | 7.364 | 7.542 |
 Argentina – Virginia Álvarez | 8.236 | 6.936 | 7.373 | 7.515 |
.svg.jpg){kind=small} Wales – Janet Beverly Hobson | 7.091 | 7.791 | 7.155 | 7.345 |
|
Final Competition
| Nation | Preliminary Average | Interview | Swimsuit | Evening Gown | Semifinal Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 8.461 (1) | 9.362 (1) | 9.135 (1) | 9.416 (1) | 9.304 (1) |
| Bermuda | 7.578 (9) | 8.872 (2) | 9.027 (2) | 9.100 (2) | 9.000 (2) |
| England | 8.227 (2) | 8.671 (3) | 8.591 (4) | 8.936 (3) | 8.733 (3) |
| Brazil | 7.715 (5) | 8.509 (4) | 8.764 (3) | 8.818 (4) | 8.697 (4) |
| Sweden | 7.800 (4) | 8.300 (5) | 8.127 (7) | 8.409 (6) | 8.279 (5) |
| South Africa | 8.103 (3) | 7.918 (10) | 8.330 (5) | 8.454 (5) | 8.234 (6) |
| Belize | 7.654 (7) | 8.118 (7) | 8.279 (6) | 8.118 (10) | 8.171 (7) |
| United States | 7.676 (6) | 8.100 (8) | 7.709 (12) | 8.335 (7) | 8.048 (8) |
| Germany | 7.542 (10) | 8.125 (6) | 7.882 (10) | 8.118 (10) | 8.042 (9) |
| Scotland | 7.609 (8) | 7.764 (11) | 8.118 (8) | 8.218 (8) | 8.033 (10) |
| Argentina | 7.515 (11) | 8.009 (9) | 8.045 (9) | 8.021 (12) | 8.025 (11) |
| Wales | 7.345 (12) | 7.380 (12) | 7.818 (11) | 8.150 (9) | 7.783 (12) |
Special Awards
| Special Awards | Winners |
|---|---|
| Best National Costume | Uruguay – Elizabeth Busti |
| Miss Photogenic | England – Carolyn Seaward |
| Miss Amity | Japan – Yurika Kuroda |
Contestants
Antigua – Elsie Maynard
Argentina – Adriana Virginia Álvarez
Aruba – Lugina Liliana Margareta Vilchez.svg.png)
Australia – Kerry Dunderdale
Austria – Karin Zorn
Bahamas – Lolita Louise Ambrister
Barbados – Barbara Bradshaw.svg.png)
Belgium – Christine Linda Bernadette Cailliau.svg.png)
Belize – Sarita Diana Acosta
Bermuda – Gina Ann Swainson
Bolivia – María Luisa Rendón.svg.png)
Bophuthatswana – Alina Moeketse.svg.png)
Brazil – Martha Jussara da Costa
British Virgin Islands – Eartha Ferdinand.svg.png)
Canada – Heidi Quiring
Chile – María Cecilia Serrano Gildemeister
Colombia – Ana Milena Parra Turbay
Costa Rica – Carla Facio Franco
Denmark – Lone Gladys Joergensen
Dominican Republic – Viena Elizabeth García Javier
Ecuador – Margarita Plaza
El Salvador – Judith Ivette López Lagos
England – Carolyn Ann Seaward
Fiji – Tanya Whiteside
Finland – Päivi Uitto
France – Sylvie Hélène Marie Parera
Germany – Andrea Hontschik †
Greece – Katia Koukidou
Guam – Marie Cruz
Guatemala – Michelle Marie Domínguez Santos
Holland – Eunice Bharatsingh
Honduras – Gina Maria Weidner Cleaves.svg.png)
Hong Kong – Olivia Chang Man-Ai
Iceland – Halldora Björk Jonsdóttir
India – Swaroop Sampat
Ireland – Lorraine Marion O'Conner
Israel – Vered Polgar
Italy – Elvira Puglisi.svg.png)
Japan – Yurika Kuroda
Korea – Jae-hwa Seo
Malaysia – Irene Wong Sun Ching
Malta – Dian Borg Bartolo
Mauritius – Maria Lynda Allard
Mexico – Blanca María Luisa Díaz Tejeda
New Zealand – Andrea Karke
Northern Mariana Islands – Barbara Torres
Norway – Unni Margrethe Öglaend
Panama – Yahel Cecile Dolande
Papua New Guinea – Molly Misbut.svg.png)
Paraguay – Patricia Lohman Bernie
Peru – Jacqueline Brahm.svg.png)
Philippines – Criselda "Dang" Flores Cecilio
Portugal – Marta Maria Mendoça de Gouveia.svg.png)
Puerto Rico – Teresa López- Réunion – Isabelle Jacquemart
Saint Kitts – Cheryl Chaderton.svg.png)
Saint Vincent – June de Nobriga
Scotland – Lorraine Davidson
Singapore – Elaine Tan Kim Lian.svg.png)
South Africa – Veronica Wilson.svg.png)
Spain – Gloria María Valencia Rijo
Sri Lanka – Vidyahari Vanigasooriya
Surinam – Sergine Lieuw-A-Len
Sweden – Annette Marie Ekström
Switzerland – Birgit Krahl
Tahiti – Fabienne Tapare
Thailand – Wongduan Kerdpoom
Transkei – Lindiwe Bam
Trinidad and Tobago – Marie Noelle Diaz
Turkey – Fusin Tahire Dermitan
Uruguay – Elizabeth Busti
United States – Mary Therese Friel
United States Virgin Islands – Linda Torres.svg.png)
Venezuela – Maritza Sayalero.svg.jpg)
Wales – Janet Beverly Hobson
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Notes
Debuts
Returns
Last competed in 1974:
Last competed in 1977:
Withdrawals
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Bonaire- Curaçao
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Lesotho
New Hebrides
Morocco
Nicaragua - Patricia Pineda Chamorro
American Samoa
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Did not compete
Turks and Caicos Islands - Rosemary Forbes
General references
- West, Donald (ed.). "Miss Universe 1979". pageantopolis.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012.
References
- ^ a b The event was held at 8:00 am Australia Time (UTC+08:00); for the Americas, this was July 19 in their local times including the United States.
- ^ "Venezuela Wins for the First Time: The Pageant Does Down Under". Critical Beauty. Archived from the original on December 21, 2004.